(Army) Strong Coffee
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A new Georgetown bakery does so much more than coffee and cookies—they train, hire, inspire and educate disabled veterans and their families. Named accordingly, Dog Tag Bakery opens in December.
Every six months a new class of wounded veterans, and the occasional spouse, is selected for the program, which includes a partnership with Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies. The veterans split their time between learning how to run a business in a classroom setting and actually baking, brewing and managing operations. “We're rehabilitating soldiers into leaders and launching their futures—bread happens to be the vehicle,” Father Richard Curry tells us. He's one of the founders, together with Connie Milstein; both have a philanthropic history of supporting the military. We snapped Father Curry with GM Justin Ford, COO Meghan Ogilvie and advisor Tammy Haddad.
 Why a bakery? “Bread is therapeutic in its own right. It's important for veterans to produce a physical product,” Father Curry tells us. The doors will open Dec. 4. Expect to cozy up in the warm brick building with a cup of (G.I.) Joe and some treats, while admiring cool details such as an original dog tag machine (pictured). Visitors can use it to make two dog tags honoring service members—one to keep; the other becomes part of a chandelier-like art installation made from the tags. The creativity continues online with their clever hashtag, #KneadToServe.  Dog Tag Bakery isn't the only coffee shop in town with military ties. Two former Marines who toured together in Afghanistan—Harrison Suarez and Michael Haft—recently opened Compass Coffee in Shaw. We snapped them next to their massive coffee roaster. They craft a handful of tasty blends using beans from around the world as well as single-origin coffee. It makes perfect sense that Compass Coffee is Dog Tag Bakery's coffee partner. Michael and Harrison are producing a special Dog Tag Bakery blend in addition to pitching in by training veterans on the equipment. |
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CityCenterDC Scores
Italian Restaurant, Market
“You gotta throw your shoulders into it, and maybe have a glass of wine,” Chef Amy Brandwein tells us. She's talking about how to pronounce Centrolina—the name of her CityCenterDC restaurant that is set to open in spring 2015. We snapped the chef, most recently of Alba Osteria, in front of the space. In addition to serving seasonal cuisine from some of the best regions in Italy, Centrolina will offer the opportunity to shop in a small but mighty market. Amy will handpick everything on the shelves. The idea to offer a restaurant/market combo platter has been on her mind since 2009.
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Bold Drinks Coming to Ballston
A true cantina calls for killer cocktails, and that's exactly what Ballston can expect when Chef Mike Isabella opens Pepita in early 2015. Previews of both food and drink in the form of a pop-up have been available this month at G by Mike Isabella. That's where we snapped Beverage Director Taha Ismail in between mixing Mezcal and tequila with ingredients like tangerine lace, avocado shrub and tamarind-infused Falernum. His drinks complement a series of tacos, ceviches and salads. Nov. 7 and 8 are the last dates to try the $40, four-course Pepita menu at G. Call for reservations.
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Shindig Celebrates Chile Food & Wine
Foods from Chile teamed up with Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington for a culinary experience Monday night celebrating the food and wine unique to Chile. Neighborhood Restaurant Group Wine Director Brent Kroll got a workout pouring glass after glass of Chilean wine, including Carmenere, Chile's signature varietal. A pisco cocktail throw down also took place, with Del Campo's Mary Kelly taking the win.
At the event, held at the enviable offices of the National Restaurant Association, six chefs faced off: Toro Toro's Filipe Milanes, KAZ Sushi Bistro's Kaz Okochi, Del Campo's Victor Albisu, Alphonse's Justus Frank, Mazagan Restaurant's Riyad Bouizar and Lupo Verde's Domenico Apollaro. Kaz (pictured) took the judge's choice award with his Chilean salmon soup, while guests voted for Domenico's dish. Foods from Chile spreads the message that the country is full of healthful food thanks to its natural resources.
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Thip Khao's Debut
Downtown dwellers have been making regular pilgrimages to suburb spot Bangkok Golden for years just to get their hands on Chef Seng's Lao dishes. The restaurant is a regular on byline hit lists, hence all the buzz surrounding the opening of its sister restaurant, Thip Khao, in Columbia Heights. After completing a successful week of soft opening dinners, the restaurant plans to open to the public in early December. We got a sneak peek and happily soaked up Laotian flavors with balls of sticky rice. Pictured is a silky rice noodle soup called Khao Poon. |
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Anybody Want Our Furniture?
We're in a bit of a pickle and thought we'd turn to you, our expert readers. Bisnow is switching DC offices, which leaves us with a lot of excess furniture. Yes, we could pay one of the many fine companies in the area who dispose of such things (if one of them is our sponsor, we love you), but first we wanted to check in with you: Do you need our furniture? Do you know of a place where we can recycle it? If you have advice or would like to stop by and see what we have (here's a partial inventory), please email our very own Amelia Garland. If nothing else, it'll make good firewood come winter. Some facts: It's on three floors, and you'd have to pick it up. All combined, it covers about 600 SF. |
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The Bisnow Agency
Bisnow has the capacity to deliver your advertising message to over 500,000 subscribers in 36 e-newsletters and attendees at 250 events across North America. Now, we can also help you create and design the most effective advertising communication to reach our readers and attendees. Our in-house Bisnow Agency provides creative services for all of your marketing needs, with skilled, knowledgeable professionals who understand your message. Services include graphic ad and website design, video production, collateral material, event signage, social media and more. We know our readers and we know you, so it's win-win. Let us help you creatively connect with our loyal audience of decision-makers. For more info on The Bisnow Agency, contact Will Friend at will@bisnow.com. |
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